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Welcome to the Classic Movie History Project Blogathon! My co-hostesses and I will be giving you a guided tour through the history of film from 1915 to 1950. I will be handling the silent era (1915-1926), Silver Screenings is hosting 1927-1938 on 1/13/14 and Once Upon a Screen is responsible for 1 read more

Welcome to the Classic Movie History Project Blogathon! Be sure to read the other wonderful posts covering every year from 1915 to 1950. This is my contribution, the first in a three-part series. 1915 changed the face of motion pictures in a way that would not be seen again until the coming of sou read more

Here is a little reenactment from the Edison film company. It portrays the New York Harbor Patrol capturing pirates. The boys in blue have a steel police boat while the pirate craft is… a rowboat. I think smuggler might be a more apt description but what do I know? The film has a documentary read more

Mabel Normand is determined to make it in the movies. This is her audition scene from Mabel’s Dramatic Career. She demonstrates her dancing abilities (no one could do a zany dance like Mabel) but is in danger of losing her balance. Ford Sterling comes to the rescue (or does he?) but the look read more

Here is an ad from 1925 extolling the virtues of Community Plate flatware. What I really love about the ad is how it suggests that the only thing standing between a comely maiden (wearing only a silk shawl, a rose and a come-hither pout) and matrimony is a lack of forks and spoons. Not all that di read more

(click to enlarge) It was fascinating to take a look back at the top American stars of the 1913 movie industry. Well, now it is time to see who took top honors in 1914. Motion Picture Magazine held a contest to see which star would receive the most votes. I’m sure a bit of ballot stuffing pro read more

Rex Ingram and company show us the French Revolution in style! Ramon Novarro (in his best-ever performance) is a vengeful lawyer turned actor turned swordsman turned revolutionary. Busy fellow, yes? Lewis Stone is his wily aristocratic opponent. Witty and with atmosphere to spare, one of the fines read more

Less than week to go before the start of the Classic Movie Project Blogathon! Ruth of Silver Screenings had the idea of posting an appetizer. That is, an introduction to our era that will whet everyone’s appetite. I will also be giving you some details on what the participants will be coveri read more

This month, I will be celebrating the U.S.’s two closest neighbors: Canada and Mexico. Who doesn’t like a little neighborly goodwill? First, I will review films from Canadian and Mexican-born performers who made it big in Hollywood. Then, I will review silent films that were made in th read more

Mabel Normand is a maidservant who is romanced and then dumped by her employer’s son. Distraught, she runs away to Hollywood where she quickly becomes a star. Her erstwhile lover sees her on the screen but can he tell fact from fiction? Mack loves Mabel but Mother does not approve. The story read more

Wow! This was the craziest round yet! Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Sessue Hayakawa are such unique and popular talents that they split the vote right down the middle. In fact, I had to extend the voting by a few minutes and call for a tie-breaker. Then the tie-breaking voters cancelled each other out read more

Mabel Normand was one of the spunkiest ladies of the silents. Associated with the infamously rough Keystone studio, she could be as rowdy as any of the boys. Here she is backhanding studio head and real-life boyfriend Mack Sennett in the kisser. (The GIF is from the 1913 short Mabel’s Dramat read more

Thanks to everyone who voted in the previous two rounds. Well, we are down to just two gentlemen. Who will be champion? (You can vote for the new round at the end of the post) The winners of round 2: Doug Jr. enjoys another win! Doug Jr. scored a decisive win over Wallace Reid. A win for Hayakawa! read more

Thanks for voting in round one of the tournament. (You can vote for round 2 at the bottom of the post.) Here are the results from the first round: Wallace Reid is the victor! Milton Sills was floored by an agile Wallace Reid. After commanding an early lead, Sills was crushed under the force of Reid read more

Whew! The last quarter of 2013 was a busy one! Here are some numbers: The site now has a total of 641 WordPress followers and over 2,000 Twitter followers. I participated in four blogathons (not counting ones that I co-hosted) I have published a total of 635 posts I launched some new features on t read more

Well, another year is behind us but I wanted to look back at 2013 and award some of the fine folks who have made this blog a success. I also wanted to hold a little retrospective and share what I consider to be the best films I viewed in the previous year. These awards are no-strings affairs. Just read more

Greetings! Last year, if you will recall, I asked my readers to choose my theme for the month. This time, I am going to do one better. I am asking my readers to select a leading man, leading lady, comedian and director with a series of tournaments. In April, I will review a film from each of the w read more

Burning Sands (1922) Status: Missing and presumed lost Another day, another sheik film. It seems that even my beloved Milton Sills was not spared the indignity of appearing in one of these things. Burning Sands was billed as “The Sheik for men” and shared both director and filming loca read more

An early romantic comedy from D.W. Griffith that centers around a spinster, a bachelor, an orphan and how the trio forms an unlikely family. As sweet as can be. Watch the movies grow up before your eyes. D.W. Griffith’s modern reputation rests on his epics but I don’t think that is the read more

I’d like to start by thanking everyone who voted and left feedback. And here are the results of the polls: Many sound favorites got started in the silents. The choices here were Silents in Talkies, After the Silents, The Lost Film Files and In the Vaults. The first three choices are all neck read more